2 Corinthians is replete with remarks regarding sincerity. It would be rightly said that the theme of the whole book is The Sincerity of the Kingdom of God. This underlying concern flows from the first chapter where Paul responds to suspicions about his motives (2 Cor. 1:17), to his appeal for the Corinthians’ sincere love (2 Cor. 6:11), to his denunciation of the integrity of the “super apostles” (2 Cor. 11:13), all the way to his final claim that he cannot do anything against the truth (2 Cor. 13:8).

One of the motifs that brings out that theme of sincerity is the reality of the “sight of God”—that is, being in his presence. All things are before God (Heb. 4:13); he is the judge who will hold all accountable. However, particularly as a minister of the gospel, Paul speaks in the sight of God. That is, he operates only with concern for the Lord’s judgment and without ulterior motive.

If we examine this theme carefully, we should see that the sale of biblical instruction is a warning sign of a ministry that will be accompanied by moral failing.

Sincerity and Its Antithesis

Let’s begin by examining all seven passages in 2 Corinthians that speak of being in the presence or sight of God.

Sincerity is incompatible with lying

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. (2 Cor. 1:23)

To give some background for this verse, at the end of 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that he intended to come to the Corinthians for an extended stay (1 Cor. 16:7). Because of sin in the church, he came early for a short and difficult visit (2 Cor. 2:1), deciding not to return for the longer visit he had initially planned. Here at the beginning of 2 Corinthians, he addresses doubts regarding his intentions by swearing an oath: “I call God as my witness.” This is the essence of an oath: calling God to observe as judge; in his presence there is no place for lying.

Sincerity is incompatible with vindictive grudges

If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of [lit.in the face of] Christ for your sake. (2 Cor. 2:10)

Paul’s short visit had involved a case of discipline, traditionally thought to be the adulterous man of 1 Corinthians 5:1. This was a contentious matter, though affirmed by a majority (2 Cor. 2:6). To “forgive” in this context refers to a restoration that is only possible under repentance. In other words, prior to this, the man was not forgiven and perhaps one could wonder whether Paul would continue holding this man’s sin over his head in order to exert his authority and apply leverage. Because he is a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 6:2) and stands before Christ, he has no option but to forgive.

Sincerity is incompatible with selling biblical instruction

For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God. On the contrary, we speak in the sight of God with sincerity in Christ, as men sent from God. (2 Cor. 2:17)

As a minister of the gospel, Paul desires to spread the fragrance of Christ everywhere (2 Cor. 2:14). Because this is a profound task, he asks “Who is sufficient for these things” (2 Cor. 2:16)? The answer, of course, is that no one is except the one who is truly commissioned by God, because God has made him sufficient for these things. Being commissioned by God, he is also observed by God, such that he cannot sell the Word he has been sent to give freely (Matt. 10:8; Isa. 55:1). Others who purport to be sent by God operate as though they are outside of his sight. Moreover, because they are not sent by him for this task, they necessarily have ulterior motives. Ulterior motives are always selfish motives, and because the quintessential form of selfishness is financial greed, the Bible speaks of this mark of false teachers as a love of money (Matt. 6:24; 1 Tim. 6:5).

Sincerity is incompatible with secrecy and underhanded manipulation

But we have renounced secret and underhanded ways, not walking in craftiness, nor distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor. 4:2)

The glory of Paul’s ministry is in question (2 Cor. 3:7-18), particularly because he has undergone many physical difficulties (2 Cor. 4:8-12). He argues that because he is a minister of the gospel, he and his associates have a great treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor. 4:7). Of course, if Paul wanted to hide this, he could. He could hide his weaknesses or compromise the gospel with more impressive ideas. He could attack his opponents with slander or gossip. However, if Paul walks in the sight of God, there is no point in hiding any shame. Rather, those weaknesses which the world finds shameful he openly admits. He has no sin to hide, and engages in no underhanded dealings.

Sincerity is incompatible with malicious intent

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God. (2 Cor. 7:12)

In the case of discipline, Paul necessarily had to treat sin harshly. It would be easy to assume malicious intent. But once again, if Paul operates in the sight of God, he knows any such intent would be exposed before the Judge of the universe. While older translations speak of Paul’s earnestness being demonstrated, newer ones tend to render it as the Corinthians’ earnestness being demonstrated. Regardless, in either case, Paul explains his sincere motive, and the sight of God demands earnestness.

Sincerity is incompatible with embezzlement

For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. (2 Cor. 8:21)

Paul collects money for the poor in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25-29) from several churches including the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 16:1). In 2 Corinthians 8, he anticipates the suspicion that he might be skimming off the top, but there is no place for this in the presence of the Lord. Moreover, he takes steps to approach the matter with a transparency that gives assurance.

Sincerity is incompatible with self-interested defensiveness

Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak in the sight of God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. (2 Cor. 12:19)

While Paul defends himself throughout, in the later portions, he particularly defends his character by making several boasts (2 Cor. 11:16-12:10). One might think that he does this to defend his own name, and indeed he does, but not merely so. Because he stands before God, he is already sufficiently vindicated in the heavenly courts. His only reason for defending himself is for the benefit of the Corinthians as they face false apostles who compete with Paul for their attention (2 Cor 11:13).

Related Fruit of a Common Heart

If sincerity is incompatible with all these behaviors, then each comes from an insincere heart.

If imagining oneself outside of the presence of God leads to one infraction, it will lead to others. While an insincere heart will not manifest every insincere action, Paul does not speak of these individual manifestations as only existing in some, but as existing in “many” (2 Cor. 2:17). Consider the following syllogism:

Premise 1	One with an insincere heart manifests various insincere actions
Premise 2	One who engages in insincere action has an insincere heart
Conclusion	One who engages in insincere action manifests various insincere actions

Because Paul speaks of peddling the Word as one of these insincere actions (2 Cor. 2:17), we can substitute it for the generic insincere action we included before.

Premise 1	One with an insincere heart manifests various insincere actions
Premise 2	One who sells biblical instruction has an insincere heart
Conclusion	One who sells biblical instruction manifests various insincere actions

The commercialization of the Word is therefore the mark of a ministry that will lack integrity in other ways.

The Unique Sign of Peddling the Word

Each one of these seven verses speaks of a different insincere behavior. However, the sale of biblical instruction (2 Cor. 2:17) stands out from all of them in that it is objectively discerned. Consider each of the others.

• Not all can discern when someone lies.
• Not all can discern when a decision to impose discipline is vindictive grudge-holding.
• Not all can discern when someone hides what is shameful or employs underhanded cunning.
• Not all can discern when one acts with malicious intent.
• Not all can discern when someone has secretly embezzled.
• Not all can discern when someone speaks out of a self-interested defensiveness.

Yet, all can discern when the Word is being sold. It is evident; nothing is hidden when someone gives biblical instruction in some direct reciprocal exchange.

This is why Paul chooses this to be the main sign by which he distinguishes himself from the super apostles.

Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?.. But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast. (2 Cor. 11:7,12)

In other areas, he can argue for his sincerity, but ultimately the Corinthians must decide whether to accept his arguments (2 Cor. 6:11-13). When it comes to peddling the Word, they have no ground for such an accusation.

Conclusion

A number of ministries consider themselves in the clear because everything about their operation seems to be of high integrity. They think they can peddle the Word of God uprightly, without any consequences.

Yet the sale of biblical instruction necessarily entails an ulterior motive of gain. As such, it constitutes a compromise of sincerity that will invariably manifest in other ways, ultimately leading to divinely wrought consequences. It is not uncommon for ministries today to share the same blind spot as the priests described by Micah:

Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.” (Micah 3:11)

We live in an era saturated with commercial practices around the Word of God. As such, from a human perspective, it’s understandable that those attempting to faithfully serve the Lord would fall into such patterns. Yet they do not need to be continued. If you are involved in any ministry that sells biblical instruction, begin working toward reformation today.